OEC Secretary-General has urged the Gambia Government to utilize technology to improve systemic Governance and transform education in Post-COVID learning environment
By Patience Loum
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) through the partnership of the African Union, the African Curriculum of Association, the Organization of Educational Cooperation, and the UNESCO International Bureau of Education launched a five-day international conference and training program in the Gambia to mark the 3rd African Continental Curriculum Conference on Education Technology and Curriculum Alignment.
E. Sheikh Manssour Bin Mussallam, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Educational Cooperation (OEC) said in as much as technology is needed in achieving systemic governance, more caution needs to be taken on how technology is used.
“In general terms, this is a serious area of concern, but even more so when it comes to our education systems. For the simple reason that we have a responsibility to protect our minors and their inalienable right to privacy, in particular since they do not yet have the capacity to do it themselves,” he said.
Mr Mussallam noted that since the youths do not have a choice to decide whether or not to share their information, a matter of public policy must be put into consideration.
To address this challenge he urged the government and all relevant stakeholders to mitigate the risks and provide solutions so as to truly benefit from the extraordinary potential of technology and the education system to be particular.
“The first proposal is that we collectively conquer our technology and digital sovereignties. This means that we must, from our countries, develop endogenous technologies, be they local, national, or regional,” said the OEC Secretary-General.
In his view this will help to sustainably bridge the techno-digital divide by developing, means of affordable, contextual, transparent, open-source technologies, simultaneously stimulating the creative power of peoples and in turn, regional and national economies.
“Transforming education to align it with the aspirations of our youth requires us to conjugate reflection with action: our times demand a hastened pace, notably by leveraging the potential of technology but also by reinforcing our own, endogenous capacities – which is the aim of this Continental Conference,” said the OEC Secretary-General, H.E. Sheikh Manssour Bin Mussallam.
In addressing the inequalities accentuated by the pandemic, the Honorable Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs Claudiana Cole, said more effort needs to be coordinated to align curriculum and related processes for teaching and learning in the technological era.
“Achieving the quality education envisaged depends on sustained dialogue and collaborations to share findings supported by research. This conference represents one of the much-needed strategies for Africa and our respective education policies,” said Minister Cole.
She added that the training will allow participants the ability to explore and address the mismatch between the school curriculum, teacher education, and learning assessment, including the intended, the implemented and the achieved curriculum.
According to the Director of UNESCO-IBE, Dr Yao Ydo, The curriculum must allow for the training of global citizens who are first and foremost skilled to live a prosperous life, rooted in their culture, but who are also able to open up to the rest of the world.
“We should therefore during this conference take advantage of the post-COVID curricular reforms engaged by some countries, to recommend that this shortcoming be rectified. Aligning curriculum and technology will be a game-changer for the youth of Africa as it is the key to opening the realms of opportunities in this digital era. The 21st century calls for a revision of curricula and educational offerings that will ultimately match the skills of graduates to the demands of their time,” he stated.